


ABC's of Flaurel

by ishtgawmbackyet



Category: How to Get Away with Murder
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-12
Updated: 2016-10-03
Packaged: 2018-05-26 05:48:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 3,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6226369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ishtgawmbackyet/pseuds/ishtgawmbackyet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Short Flaurel drabbles, one for every letter of the alphabet.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A is for Annalise

She had seen it time and time again; Frank flirting with her students, choosing them to be ‘Frank’s girl’ and making them fall for him, only to end it and break their hearts shortly before the end of the school year. This time wasn’t any different. Until it was. 

From the moment she laid eyes on Laurel Castillo, Annalise knew she would become Frank’s girl. She had the same dark hair, bright eyes and wicked brilliance as all the girls in the past. When Frank recommended Laurel for one of the coveted spots on the Keating team, Annalise wasn’t the least bit surprised, because yes, she knew Laurel Castillo would become ‘Frank’s girl’, what Annalise didn’t know however, is that she would become Frank’s wife. 

Little by little, Annalise saw changes in Frank; when he didn’t end it with Laurel at the end of the school year. she knew he was falling for her. When there was no new ‘Frank’s girl’ the following fall, she knew he was serious. When he asked for the day off so he could help Laurel move into his apartment, she knew that he was in love. But it wasn’t until he showed her the sparkling diamond engagement ring that she realized that he was committed, that this was the real deal. Floppy haired Frank from Fishtown, the ladies man and ultimate bachelor had grown into a caring and respectable man, someone worthy of Laurel’s love. 

So while sitting in the front row of the massive church on their wedding day, surrounded by Delfino’s, the only thing she felt was overwhelming pride and happiness.


	2. B is for baby

She was beautiful. She came early, but she was healthy. And now that she was here, Frank couldn’t imagine waiting another month to meet her. 

She was little, like Laurel, only 5lbs, 3oz, but she was strong, like Frank, kicking and screaming the minute she came out, and deemed perfectly healthy.

Underneath her little pink cap was a full head of wispy black hair, and when she opens her little pink eyelids, the most striking blue eyes. So perfect, in every way. From her perfect little nose and pink pouty lips, all the way to her 10 little toes. Frank drank her in, trying to memorize every little detail on her tiny, perfect face. He hadn’t looked away since the tiny baby wrapped like a burrito was placed in his arms.

Laurel was drifting in and out of sleep in the bed next to him, exhausted from labour and delivery. Frank, however, was certain he’d never sleep again, he’d never be able to stop staring at their beautiful creation. Laurel had been in love with the baby from the first miniscule flutter she had felt in her stomach, but it wasn’t until the first, strong cries of his daughter pierced the air that Frank began to realize just what he was in for. It hit him like a train. He was hopelessly in love with Laurel, never feeling such strong emotions before in his life. He didn’t know he’d be able to love another human as much as he loved Laurel, yet here she was, nestled fast asleep in his arms, holding his heart and soul in her little pink fist.

They planned to name her Sofia Adalina Delfino. It was only as Frank was filling out the birth certificate did he realize that her initials were to be SAD, and he had vowed that no child of his would ever be sad. So her name became Sofia Adalina Maria Delfino, and just like that, there was a new person on this earth.


	3. C is for catastrophe

If Laurel had to choose one word to describe her life right now, it would be catastrophe. Ever since the night Sam died her life had been turned upside down. The night Annalise was shot turned her life into a disaster, but the most recent events had turned her life into a catastrophe. 

“I killed Lila”. She had been hearing it over and over in her head like a broken record every since Frank announced the 3 little words that made everything stop making sense. It repeated itself so many times in her head that she had half convinced herself that she had made it up. Hoped that she had. But she hadn’t and now she had to deal with the fact that this man who she’d fallen so hard for was a killer, a bad person, a man just like her father, who she’d worked so hard to escape from. This man who was standing in front of her confessing to her 3 different little words, that she promised herself wouldn’t change her, wouldn’t make her sacrifice her morals and integrity. 

“And the truth is, I don’t love you back”. But of course she did. She knew it. He knew it, could see it in her eyes. Anybody with half a brain knew it. But she also knew that he didn’t deserve to hear her say it back, was not worthy of her love. He was not a good person and she knew she deserved so much better. Knew that ending it and walking away was the right choice. But then why did it hurt so damn much?

Yes, her life was a catastrophe.


	4. D is for Dog

“What is that?”

Laurel was just getting home from a long day of classes, followed by countless hours working at her internship at the public defenders’ office. Unlike most days, she wasn’t met by Frank’s smiling face, spotless apartment and the smell of dinner on the stove. In fact, she was met by something else entirely. 

“It’s a dog” Frank said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. A dog it was indeed. A scruffy, dirty, though admittedly cute dog was sitting at Laurel’s feet, looking up at her with curiosity in his eyes.

“I know it’s a dog. Why is it here? Who’s is it?”

“Its ours. If that’s okay with you anyway. I found him and- “

“Frank, we can’t keep him. We don’t have the time or space for a dog”

“Please Laurel, he doesn’t have anyone, he was tied to a tree with a note around his neck, his family don’t want him no more”

That soften Laurel a bit. She all about family problems, feeling like no one loves you and having no where to go. And yes, he was pretty adorable. She looked down at the dog as he licked her hand, looked into his big brown eyes, the very definition of puppy dog eyes and she relented. 

“Fine, we can keep him for a while and see how it goes, but if he starts becoming a problem, then we’re finding him a new home”

Frank looked overjoyed, gave her a quick kiss on her lips and smiled one of the biggest smiles Laurel had ever seen, “I promise you won’t regret this”.

And she never did. Frank however, did second guess himself one day, three years later when he came home to find that Max had eaten half the couch.


	5. E is for elephant in the room

It had been over a month since Laurel had found enough time to attend the weekly Delfino family dinner, and she had missed it, Frank’s family, his mom’s food and the loving atmosphere. 

It had been just under a month since the little pink plus sign had appeared and a new little being had forced its way into her heart. 

It was too early to tell anybody of course, the only people that knew were Frank, Laurel and her doctor. Though Laurel suspected that Bonnie and Annalise might have some suspicions because the smile hadn’t left Frank’s face in 3 weeks. But for now, it was their little secret.

Frank’s mom had become a mother to Laurel herself over the past few years, and Laurel was looking forward to telling her, but Laurel was a realist, and knew that the first trimester can be a difficult time and she didn’t want to get anybody’s hopes up. But keeping the secret was much harder than she had anticipated. 

When she turned down a glass of scotch from Frank’s dad, no questions were asked. When she said no to a class of wine from his mom, Mrs. Delfino wasn’t as accommodating. It probably didn’t help that when she pestered Laurel about it, Laurel replied that she had an early morning, at the same time Frank said “she’s driving”. Mrs. Delfino gave Laurel a suspicious look but dropped the subject for the time being.

When Laurel politely declined her favourite shrimp arrabbiata, Mrs. Delfino once again sent a questioning look down the table, but thankfully didn’t say anything. 

When Laurel was yawning and almost nodding off during after supper coffee and Frank announced that he was taking her home, the final piece of the puzzle fell into place for Mrs. Delfino and her suspicions were confirmed. Laurel, however was sure that she had hid it well and was relieved the night was over and her secret was safe for another week.

Mrs. Delfino walked them to the door and in turn gave Frank and Laurel hug. It was only during this moment that Laurel realized her secret was not so safe, when Mrs. Delfino whispered in her ear “I hope it takes after you, I’m not sure this family could handle another Frankie”.


	6. F is for friendship

Frank always had a ton of friends growing up. He always had a great relationship with his brothers, and even got along very well with most of his cousins. He was among the popular kids in school and had girls falling all over him, but he’d never had a friend like Laurel.

Of course, things with Laurel hadn’t always been so bright and shiny. When Laurel first started working for Annalise, Frank was instantly attracted to her, though he never gave much thought to who she was as a person. It didn’t take long though, for Frank want something more than flirting and sex and using each other. He fell fast and hard. He was in love with her, in a way he’d never been in love with another person before. He loved everything about her- the way she laughed at his sarcastic comments, the mischievous look in her eyes when she was cooking up a plan, but mostly he loved the friendship he had with her.

She was his best friend. He had never been friends with any of his previous girlfriends, never even thought about it, but his friendship with Laurel was one of the parts of their relationship that he valued the most. Anytime anything exciting happen to him, he couldn’t wait to tell Laurel. He went to her for advice and was content to do just about anything with her. He loved hearing about her day, her hopes and dreams, and even all the bad stuff.

Their friendship was truly the glue of their relationship. After Frank had come clean about his part in Lila’s death it had taken a long time to get back to a solid place, and once they did their relationship was better than it had ever been. They had taken it slow, became friends again, and learned to fully trust each other for the first time. And no matter how painful it was at the time, Frank never regretted telling her, because in the end he was able to develop his relationship with Laurel from more than just lovers, or boyfriend and girlfriend, it helped them to become best friends.


	7. G is for gravity

“I don’t love you back”. The words hit him like a kick in the stomach, though he’d be lying if he’d said he was expecting any different. Then the 2 words that he’d wanted so much to avoid.

“Its over”.

The minute those words left her lips it felt as though all the air was sucked out of the room. She kept talking but all he could hear was the ringing in his ears. He felt sick. The room was spinning and nothing was making any sense. He loved her, but she was leaving him. He knew it was for her own good, that she deserved so much better than him, but he loved her and he didn’t know what to do. He wanted to explain everything to her, wanted to ask her to stay, to beg her, but no words came out. He wanted to yell, wanted to hold her tight so she could never leave again, but he couldn’t move. Hell, he even wanted to cry, but his brain was shutting down, building a wall around his heart to protect him from any more pain.

As Laurel walked around him to leave he caught one final whiff of her intoxicating scent, and when she shut the basement door behind her, the only thing that kept him on his feet was gravity.


	8. H is for Hockey

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just because I’m Canadian and dating a hockey player… If you’ve never been to an NHL game, I highly recommend it. I had to overlook my dislike of the Philadelphia Flyers for this one, so I hope you enjoy!

Annalise’s clients often left gifts for her and her associates, whether to thank them or to remind them to keep things hush hush, they were never too sure. So when a client with an upper level position in the NHL gave Frank two tickets for a Flyers’ game it was nothing out of the ordinary. Frank had been to a few games throughout his life, but Laurel, spending her childhood in Mexico and Florida had barely laid her eyes on an ice rink.

It took a bit of convincing on Frank’s part- Laurel wasn’t especially into sports, but she had agreed to go (even though she wasn’t sure why people enjoyed watching men with sticks trying to put a puck into a net).

Frank bought her a jersey, he said that it would help her get more into the game, but really he just found it sexy. He himself squeezed into his jersey from high school and off the went. Laurel protested the entire way, she could be studying at home, exams were coming up soon! She complained all the way until puck drop about how much valuable revision she could be getting in, and that she was even missing a study group. But once Frank got a few beers in her, she was able to relax a bit.

And she loved it. She was on her feet during every goal, yelling during every penalty and high fiving strangers around her. She didn’t understand a damn thing about the game, but boy did she love it. And every time Laurel got onto her feet to cheer, it made Frank’s heart soar. It wasn’t very often that Laurel had a chance to take a break from school and when she did, there was always something else weighing on her mind, but tonight she seemed to forget everything that was stressing her out and lived in the moment with Frank, and had the best time.

It was a 4-1 Flyers victory. They gained 2 points, and a new lifelong fan. Laurel followed the Flyers closely after that and enjoyed watching as many games as she could. She was a hockey fan, something that baffled everyone she knew, but she was happy and that was all that mattered.


	9. I is for I love you too

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I suck so much at updating over here-check my tumblr (same name) for faster updates! I wrote this one shortly after the season 2 finale. Its post season 2 finale, pre season 3 premiere.

He felt like he’d been waiting a lifetime to hear Laurel say those 3 little words, but the echo of her voice on his answering machine felt hollow and dead. Of course he wanted to hear them, but not now, not like this. Ever since he left Philly after the truth came out, he’d been trying so hard to not think about Laurel, about the hole in his heart and the pain that he was putting her through. He told himself that she deserved so, so much more. And he believed it, he honestly did, but that meant so little when her name flashed across his phone, calling out to him like a drug. With each day that passed, his resolve grew thinner, and when the weeks turned into months he was barely holding on. He knew he should get a new phone number, new email, cut himself off completely, erase any chances for Laurel to contact him, but every time ‘1 new voice message’ popped up on screen, and he heard her voice, he became addicted once again.

Her message tonight was different, short and sweet, simply “I love you too”. He listened again and again, aching to reply, wanting to return her words, over and over again, and not just through the phone, but into her ear, into her lips, until his voice went hoarse and rough.

And she had finally done it. She had broken his resolution. So he dialed the number he knew by heart, the number he dialled everyday, only this time, he didn’t hang up. He waited with baited breath until he heard her sweet voice say “Finally”.


	10. J is for jail

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally back at writing these. The last 2 chapters were written in April, but not posted here, and this is my first new one. My laptop, house and much of my town burnt down in a horrific wild fire in early May, and I've finally had the time/energy/inspiration to write again! This takes place post 3x02, with a minor spoiler. Enjoy!

He’d been through this before. Nothing about the process of being arrested had changed. What was new was the feeling of indifference. He never killed Mahoney (though he couldn’t deny that he’d often considered it), but he wasn’t trying to defend himself. On paper he was being punished for murder of Mahoney, but in his heart he was rightfully being punished for what he did to Annalise’s baby, to Lila, and for ruining the lives of so many along the way.

He denied his one phone call, he didn’t know who to call. Laurel hated him. Bonnie hated him. And Annalise really hated him. He didn’t call his family, he didn’t want them to know the awful truth about the kind of person he was, though he was sure it would be all over the news by the morning. He knew he deserved punishment, hell- he deserved death, but those he loved didn’t deserve to be associated with him, didn’t deserve to see the headline in tomorrow’s paper. Annalise could say goodbye to her integrity as an attorney, having a convicted murder working for her all this time. Bonnie would lose her best friend and question every interaction she ever had with him. His poor, and good parents would be seen as the people who raised a murderer.

And Laurel. He had tried so hard to save Laurel from himself by falling off the face of the earth. It was so hard for him, he listened to her voice mails everyday, but he knew that if he wanted her to have a chance of having something close to a normal life, he would have to leave her forever- no matter how hard she was making that. She had worked so hard to get away from her father and ended up in Frank’s arms. She’ll always know that she failed herself, her family will always know that. She would never be able to trust her judgement again. He ruined her, and he would never be able to forgive himself for that. He made her fall in love with him and only when she gave her heart to him did he tell her who he really was. A bad man. Not worthy of her love. Not worthy of anyone’s love. And he would never be able to make it up to her. Especially not know that he was back in Philly, awaiting trial for the murder of Mahoney.

He never should have come back here, not when there were still no suspects in the Mahoney murder. Not when he knew the Philly police were tracking him and Annalise had sent a hit man after him. But when he heard Laurel’s pleading voice on the phone, desperate for him to come back home, he knew he couldn’t stay away any longer. She loved him, he knew that now, but why did he think he could ever have her?


	11. K is for kids

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 10 years from now, Frank reflects on being a dad. AKA I just want an idealistic, happy Flaurel future, is that too much to ask for (looking at you Pete). #pleasedontletitbefrankorlaurelunderthesheet.

Frank had always loved kids. He adored his many nieces and nephews and loved spending time with them. He loved kids, he just never thought he’d ever have his own. He never envisioned himself settling down, having a wife and kids and the white picket fence deal. That was all before Laurel though. He had fallen for Laurel hard and fast and it before long he couldn’t go a day without thinking about a little baby, the perfect mix of everything good between him and Laurel.

Laurel, of course, was much harder to convince. She didn’t exactly have the storybook childhood that he did. Once she finally came around to the idea, she had some stipulations; she must have passed the bar and be settled into a career, they had to have a house, and of course, their past, not-so-legal deeds would be behind them with no chances of ever being drug up again. Before she knew it, her conditions were met and she agreed to start trying. She still wasn’t sure, but once she heard that fast, loud heartbeat in the doctor’s office one early January morning, she never looked back.

Yes, Frank always loved kids, but nothing could quite compare to the love he had for his own kids. His heart soared as he looked at the scene in front of him. His 5-year-old daughter trying her hardest to master the monkey bars. His almost 3-year-old son playing in the dirt with Bonnie’s little girl. And absolute, unconditional love as his 4-month old looked up at him with Laurel’s clear blue eyes, before curling into his chest, fast asleep. 

“You know what Bon? 10 years ago I never woulda believed ya, if you told me we’d be getting together for weekly playdates with our kids”

“I would have laughed at the idea of you as a dad, let alone a stay at home dad. But you know what? You were made for.”


End file.
